CNBC Smart

“It was great working with the team at The Illusion Factory. You guys created a game that our users loved and the participation and engagement exceeded our expectations. We are also happy that the project was done on time and on budget! Thanks so much.”
Rene Brinkley | CNBC

Overview:NBC Universal contracted The Illusion Factory to strategize and build a fun video-driven trivia game that gives media buyers insight to CNBC’s network and CNBC Smart’s content. All deliverables tied into a sweepstakes that awarded high level prizes.

Strategy:CNBC wanted to create an event to use during the Broadcast Upfronts to introduce CNBC’s prime time line up featuring CNBC Smart. The main event was invitation only and hosted approximately 400 people, targeting media buyers. The goal of the event was to engage the audience and create a buzz in the marketplace.

Execution:CNBC Prime time content is focused on documentaries which take an inside look at companies, industries and business leaders. To help accomplish this goal of maintaining the buyers desire to login to the CNBC site on a daily basis throughout the Broadcast Upfronts, The Illusion Factory created an online game to generate excitement about the event and encourage daily attendance on the site. The game had to be intelligent and engage players using information from the primetime content. In addition to the game, CNBC requested a microsite/landing page that provided information about the event and drove visitors to the online game.

Results:
Overall, the campaign exceed every expectation. The target goal of 400 participants was exceeded tenfold with over 4,000 registered players. Return visits to the site were above 80% and the game was played substantially more than 5,000 times. CNBC and The Illusion Factory used Google Analytics to track all metrics of the campaign.

Deliverables:
Flash Based Trivia Game
Server Side Technologies and Hosting
Microsite